British climber Kenton Cool prepares to be the first non-Sherpa to summit Everest 20 times
MEDIA INFORMATION: 1st April, 2026
An attempt at a British sporting milestone and a rare 20-year perspective on how the world’s highest mountain is changing.
British mountaineer Kenton Cool is preparing to return to Mount Everest this May in a bid to complete his 20th summit of the world’s highest mountain, a milestone that would make him the first non-Sherpa climber in history to achieve the feat.
Cool, 52, first climbed Everest in 2004 and has since become one of the world’s most experienced high-altitude guides, helping dozens of clients reach the summit over the past two decades. If successful this spring, the climb will mark 20 years of the rapidly changing Everest landscape.
Cool has witnessed the growth of commercial expeditions, record numbers of climbers and increasingly visible signs of climate change. “When I look back at my first climb compared to today, they are worlds apart. Due to disturbing amounts of glacial loss from the Khumbu glacier over the years, there is now a river running through Base Camp. Back in 2004 this only appeared at the end of the season, now it flows constantly. The changes I see every time I return leave me humbled”.
Scientific research supports those observations. Professor Duncan Quincey, a glaciologist at the University of Leeds - where Cool studied Earth Sciences - is currently working on the “Losing their Cool” research project which examines how mountain glaciers are warming under intense solar radiation, accelerating melt rates and making them more sensitive to global warming than previously understood.
“The glaciers here are melting at a rate beyond historic precedence,” says Quincey. “We’re seeing surface lowering of several metres a year in places. Satellite data from the 1960s to today shows the area around Everest Base Camp has lowered by more than 50 metres, which is staggering”.
Over the last 25 years 15,781 people have climbed above Everest Base Camp, nearly three times as many as in the previous 80 years combined. In total, more than 13,700 summits have been recorded on Everest, achieved by around 7,500 individual climbers. The growth in expeditions have increased mountain congestion. Busy seasons can see close to a thousand people on the mountain at once, with more than 200 climbers attempting the summit on peak days.
Cool believes the future of Everest will require both experience and adaptation as conditions continue to evolve. He supports a proposal currently under discussion in Nepal that would require climbers to first summit a 7,000-metre Himalayan peak before being eligible for an Everest permit. “Everest is an extraordinary mountain, but it demands respect and experience,” says Cool, “as the mountain changes, and as more people come here, we need to make sure climbers are properly prepared.”
Whilst Cool’s livelihood is closely tied to Everest, he is conscious of the impact his expeditions have on the mountain and has taken steps to minimise it. Cool’s organisation, In Cool Company, is a member of 1% for the Planet, an initiative that sees 1% of annual revenue donated to environmental charities and projects. His travel emissions are offset in line with the principles of the Gold Standard, supporting verified climate and sustainability initiatives.
Cool also uses his expeditions as an opportunity to highlight the visible effects of climate change in high mountain environments, including glacial retreat. He regularly engages with scientists like Professor Duncan Quincey and environmental experts to better understand the actions individuals and organisations can take to reduce emissions. On a personal level, he follows a plant-based diet whenever possible, helping to further reduce his environmental footprint.
Despite almost two decades on the world’s highest peak, Cool says the mountain never becomes routine. “Every climb brings with it a wealth of learnings, a new perspective or a test of judgement. My twentieth summit will also give me an insight into how this majestic mountain is doing. I’ll let you know when I get down”.
If successful, the climb will mark Cool’s twentieth summit of Mount Everest, a British sporting milestone in a career shaped by deep respect for the mountain and the environment that surrounds it.
Interview opportunities available before departure and during the expedition.
Contact stephanie@springpr.com; 07818 063163 to arrange. Further information, images and video assets also available.
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About: Kenton Cool is one of the world’s leading high-altitude climbers and avid adventurers. He has climbed Mount Everest 19 times along with many other mountain peaks around the globe, including the ‘seven summits’ – the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents. He is also the only Brit to ski down two 8,000m peaks.
Kenton Cool has a deep commitment to social and environmental causes, linking the peaks of the Himalayas with the wellbeing of mountain communities and the planet. He is an ambassador for the Gurkha Welfare Trust, which provides vital support to veterans and communities in Nepal, and a spokesperson and personal supporter of The Juniper Fund’s work assisting the families of fallen Sherpas. Kenton also advocates for Climbers Against Cancer, serves on the Mount Everest Foundation committee, which funds science and exploration, and supports the dZi Foundation, focused on long-term mountain community development.
Photo courtesy of @daniel_james_media
Photo courtesy of Elia Saikaly
